Author: Reviews

Good espresso needs a clean machine of good quality.

De Longhi offers a variety of espreso maker machines and there should be something for every life style.

De Longhi BAR32

The De Longhi BAR32 is a delight blend of old and new. Its retro look is combined with some of the most advanced features you’ll find on espresso makers anywhere.

Some espresso lovers will, of course, prefer the more contemporary design of so many coffee machines. Admittedly, the combination of polished metal and black plastic, coupled with an almost Swedish design in many cases, does make for a good looking machine. But we love the ’50s look of this unusual, rounded machine. Since coffee is a matter of taste, why shouldn’t the coffee maker design be?

There’s no subjective element when it comes to function, though. The BAR32 has features that are more often found only on professional-level units costing ten times as much.

The first of those is the pump-driven mechanism this espresso maker incorporates. Steam machines often do a fine job. But to make the finest cup you have to have the highest pressure and only a pump can do that. Still, don’t be misled. Why they called it the BAR32 is anybody’s guess. It does create a very respectable 15-bar, though.

The BAR32 also features self-priming, a very handy feature that lets you create your espresso very quickly and efficiently. The simple controls add nicely to the ease-of-use theme.

The portafilter adds to that simplicity, eliminating the need for a high-end grinder. That theme is continued by the ability to use ESE pods. Pop one in to brew, dump it out for easy clean up. Or use grounds, as you prefer. This model’s feature is actually easier to use than that of many professional units.

And, speaking of easy, you’ll like the clear 35-ounce removable water tank and the removable drip tray. Both those make for easy clean up. The water tank also ensures you can make plenty of fine espresso for the guests without undue waiting.

The stainless steel boiler heats up in a flash, so even those first cups will come out super fast without any sacrifice in quality. One reason is this stainless-steel model’s ability to maintain a stable temperature throughout the process, not something every steel model can claim.

Luckily, a very serviceable swivel jet frothing wand is on board to add a nice fluffy foam to each one. Cappuccino lovers will be very grateful that it requires minimal skill to top off your cup using this feature. And, thanks to the built-in Sempre Crema Filter, you can have a fine caramel-colored crema for your latte that doesn’t require you to have the skills of a professional barista.

The dual thermostats also help up your skill level with no effort on your part. There’s one for water and one for steam, ensuring that you know exactly what’s going on with your brew at all times. The many easy-view indicator lights are equally helpful.

It’s great to find an unusual-looking espresso maker with the unusual advantage of professional features at a modest price. How the company can do that may be a mystery, but the espresso from the DeLonghi BAR32 isn’t. Its quality is obvious without reading the last chapter.

De Longhi EC155

It’s odd. The De Longhi EC155 is usually considered a mid-level espresso maker, not top of the line. We can only imagine that view must be based on the low price alone because, when considering its list of features, it’s a stellar unit.

That list starts with the EC155’s outstanding professional appearance. True, those interested in a great shot are naturally most concerned with great function. But an espresso maker is also an appliance, so why not have something good looking in the kitchen?

The EC155 has a professional feature few low-price coffee makers offer: a pump-driven mechanism. Typically, less expensive machines are driven by steam. That limits the amount of pressure they can deliver. Professional baristas know that truly high pressure is a big help for making a truly superior brew. Creating 15-bar from the pump, this model will never fall short in that area.

Unlike many professional models, the boiler is stainless steel rather than brass. But that’s to be expected in a mid-level model. To get brass would raise the price considerably. No one will have any reason to be disappointed in the results, though. The EC155 makes an outstanding brew. Temperature control is not quite as uniform with stainless steel, but when the model is well-made the difference is minor.

One reason is the EC155’s dual-function filter holder. This ingenious mechanism lets air enter during the brewing process, resulting in a superior cream.

With a 1-liter (35 oz) removable water tank, you’ll be able to create plenty of it, too. Since it is removable, clean up is easier. Many espresso maker owners get a little lax about mineral buildup. It can be a pain to de-calcify some models. With a removable tank, there’s no reason to forego the effort. Pour on a little vinegar-baking soda mixture in the sink and voila! No more calcium carbonate.

The unit also holds ESE pods (Easy Serving Espresso) to make creating your first-rate brew a low-grade effort. Popping one in makes it simple to create a cup without spooning. Dumping it out afterward makes clean up simpler.

There are other convenience features on board here, such as the swivel jet frother. Adding a nice foamy touch to your cup is a breeze. For some, it might be a little close to the counter top. Ditto the spigot. That’s less than ideal, but easily solved. Place an attractive wooden or marble block on the counter, then the EC155 on the block. Beauty and function pleasantly combined. Of course, even that’s not necessary if you use standard-sized espresso and froth cups.

Those are minor limitations for a machine that makes such a fine brew at such a modest price. There’s nothing modest about its ambition: to make an espresso that is second to none every time. We’re happy to note that’s a goal at which this coffee maker succeeds with ease. Overall, the De Longhi EC155 is a great value.

De Longhi ESAM3300 Magnifica

There’s something a little odd about presuming to offer a review of an espresso maker. After all, don’t you have to actually taste the coffee? And isn’t that ultimately a matter of taste? Sure, but the De Longhi ESAM3300 Magnifica shows that a blend of objective attributes and enthusiastic espresso lovers offer something worth heeding.

Note, for example, the integrated burr-style coffee grinder. Baristas amateur and professional alike know that the freshest grounds are a must for the freshest, most delicious brew. Having a grinder on board, then, is more than just a convenience. It’s a must. And, with a 7-ounce bean container you can easily fill the tank, then remove and dispose of the grounds.

The goodness continues with two stainless steel boilers, providing you with stellar heat distribution. Why is that important? Because, again as the pros know and the espresso enthusiast soon discovers, hot spots spoil the brew. A mixture of burnt and underdone coffee can’t be good, right? With 1150 watt, you’ll never have to worry about creating the high heat needed to make that really zingy French Roast, either.

It’s equally good to keep the espresso at an even temperature after the initial brew. After all, unless you make only one cup at a time, you’ll have more to enjoy after the first. Those second, third, and fourth cups should – and could – be as good as the first provided the brew doesn’t sit too long, of course. With an instant reheat feature to keep the liquid at the ideal temperature while you enjoy your cup, the ESAM3300 Magnifica makes that effort, well, effortless.

An electronic thermostat ensures accuracy in the brew while giving you accurate readings. And, an adjustable spigot is just the thing for those varying sized cups you and your guests enjoy. You can use this unit just as easily with everything from the tiniest espresso cup to a tall travel mug. The Cappucino System rotates 180 degrees to accommodate any size milk container, too.

Naturally, you have many things to keep track of during your day and forgetting to shut off the espresso maker after you’ve finished your drink isn’t always uppermost in mind. So, thankfully, De Longhi has provided this unit with a 3-hour shut off function to ensure your safety, and the well being of your machine.

That convenience extends in other directions, as well.

Everyone finds caring for their espresso maker one of their least favorite things to do. De Longhi shrunk that effort from “horrible” to “not bad” by incorporating a 60-ounce removable water reservoir for easy maintenance. Build up of calcium need never occur here because you don’t want to slog through a cleaning session. The machine even tells you when you need to de-calcify. That attention to details to make your life easy extends even to the removable drip tray.

Is the De Longhi ESAM3300 Magnifica objectively a superb piece of equipment? We don’t know how to make that assertion for everyone. But the facts suggest it is, and our experience says, “Yes, oh, yes.”

Slow cooker or Dutch oven? That is a dilemma.

You can have them both, but should you choose one over the other, you had better think of the pros and cons of each one.

By design, the slow cooker and Dutch oven are similar in shape and function, both achieving similar results. But there are pros and cons to each. Let’s take a look at the battle of the deep-dish cookers and find out which one comes out on top:

Slow cooker pros and cons

One of the best features of the slow cooker is how it does its job, cooking a full meal, in so little space. Unlike the oven and cook-top, the slow cooker can be relegated to a corner and go about its business virtually unseen.

Cooking a meal or side dish with your slow cooker also frees up your oven and cook-top for other dishes. How many times have you tried to plan a big meal and have to shuffle dishes in and out of the oven and around the burners?

The ‘set it and forget it’ slow cooker method frees you up when cooking dishes that you may otherwise have to watch, stir, and keep from burning. The low cooking temperatures keep dishes simmering just right so you don’t have to worry about watching a pot boil. This low, even temperature takes the guess work out of many dishes you may have previously spent time fretting over.

Cooking a meal in a slow cooker is also more economical when it comes to energy consumption. Heating up a slow cooker, even considering the length of time, takes less energy than heating up a large oven or letting a burner stay on, radiating its heat out into the kitchen. The heating element in the slow cooker is contained and is designed to heat only the insert that holds the food. You’re not spending money to heat a large space nor are you letting the heat escape into the room.

One of the downsides to slow cooker cooking is there are just some ingredients that don’t work well in a slow cooker. For instance, dairy products. Making a cream or milk based dish becomes more complicated, involving extra steps and extreme caution so as not to curdle the milk.

If you’re not careful choosing and cutting up the food that goes into the slow cooker, you may end up with food that’s either under cooked or overcooked. For instance, many cooks are used to coarse cutting vegetables for stew, but vegetables cook slower in the slow cooker and may need to be cut finer, or cooked longer. Meat typically cooks faster than vegetables in the slow cooker, making the size of the ingredients important.

slow cooker meals are best when using fresh meats and vegetables. So, if you live in an area in which you must rely more on canned foods, the texture in a slow cooker will be disappointing. Because canned foods are already processed, they may become quite soft and mushy in the slow cooker. Picture cooking canned peas for 8 hours, even on such a low heat. Yes, you can add the canned veggies in during the last minutes of cooking time, but if the idea is to walk away and have dinner ready when you come home, it sort of defeats the purpose.

Dutch oven pros and cons

These sturdy pots were the typical tools of the trade during the good old days. Picture an open pit with cowboys circled around waiting to dig into their stew. The even heating of a heavy duty Dutch oven is almost second to none. You may remember your grandparents of parents stirring stews on the stove or basting a pot roast in the oven in one of these big pots with the heavy lid.

A wide variety of meals can be prepared in a Dutch oven. They are duel purpose; you can begin a meal by browning the meat right in the Dutch oven on the stove burner, then add the vegetables, cover it, and pop it in the oven to continue cooking. Or you can brown your beef over the burner, then add the ingredients for chili and continue cooking it right on top of the stove.

Sounds ideal, but there are a few drawbacks. That chili or beef stew on top of the stove will some watching. No matter how low your burner goes, you’ll need to stir it up to keep it from sticking or burning to the bottom of the Dutch oven. This is a pot that needs watching.

Using your Dutch oven, whether in the oven or on top of the stove takes up space. If you want to add a nice loaf of crusty homemade bread to your pot roast meal, you’ll have to do some juggling to time your bread in the oven. Adjusting the temperature becomes an issue, too.

Dutch ovens convey heat extremely well, making the temperature you use in the oven and on the stove top very important. A few degrees makes a difference. An oven that runs hot can cause your meal to burn or dry out before you know it.

Slow cooking a meal in a Dutch oven requires a heated oven or a burner on the stove top. Either way, it takes a lot of energy to heat the inside of a large oven just to cook what’s in a five quart pot. And a burner radiates heat out into the room; it does not trap it under the pot.

Removing your Dutch oven full of food from the oven or burner proves to be quite a feat for many people due to the fact that they are usually very heavy and retain the heat very well. They are hot for a long, long time which makes them the kind of thing to keep children away from. Dishing up a meal becomes a bit hazardous because the container itself remains hot for a long time after you remove it from the heating source. So, what makes a Dutch oven cook well, its weight, also makes it harder to handle.

And the winner is…

While Dutch ovens are more versatile in the dishes they can deliver, slow cookers are the overall winners of this battle for several reasons. slow cookers take the prize when it comes to freeing up cooking space for other chores. Their compact size, virtually a mini-oven, also cooks with less energy, which saves you money.

Because you can walk away from the meal, the slow cooker becomes the ultimate time-saver in the kitchen. Once preparation is done, you have the freedom to do other chores, or even leave the house. slow cookers do the cooking part of a meal for you – just set it and forget it.

You also can’t debate the safety issue of a slow cooker versus a Dutch oven. The new slow cookers have cool exteriors and built in timers to ensure they shut off when the meal is done. Plus, you aren’t constantly opening the oven to check on the meal, nor are you lifting the hot, heavy lid to stir the contents. Once the meal is in the slow cooker, you normally don’t have to worry about picking the lid up again until it’s dinnertime.

We may never give up our Dutch ovens, but I think it could take a backseat to the slow cooker in your kitchen. Keep your slow cooker handy on your counter top and see how many times you choose it now over your Dutch oven.

We’ve all heard of a slow cooker, a.k.a. crock pot, and we’ve all probably heard of a pressure cooker.

While most of you know and probably use a slow cooker, some of you may not know what a pressure cooker is, how it works, or the benefits of using a pressure cooker. While both the slow cooker and the pressure cooker cook foods like meats, vegetables, casseroles and beans very well, pressure cookers can also cook things like cheesecake and oatmeal.

Speed of cooking

Pressure cookers cook in significantly less time than slow cookers. And, you don’t have to be super organized to prepare a meal in a pressure cooker, where with a slow cooker you do. For instance, using a slow cooker, you have to get up in the morning and prepare all your ingredients and place them in the slow cooker in order for them to cook all day while you’re at work or running errands. When you use a pressure cooker, you can come home from work and in just a few minutes time have a quick, healthy and delicious meal all prepared all at once.

Convenience

Pressure cookers are also much more convenient than slow cookers. For instance, to gain the maximum flavor from meat, it should be browned. When you use a slow cooker an extra pan has to be used for the browning, but you can brown the meat right inside a pressure cooker. If you have a recipe that calls for bacon, you can fry up the bacon right in the pressure cooker as well. So there is no extra washing of a pan using a pressure cooker like there is if you were to use a slow cooker.

Time-saving

Another advantage of using a pressure cooker over a slow cooker is the fact that you can caramelize onions in the pressure cooker. Again, if you needed caramelized onions in a recipe for a slow cooker, you’d have to prepare them in a separate pan. Not only is this annoying, but it’s also more time consuming. Most of you are rushed in the mornings as it is, and rarely have time to prepare a dish for the slow cooker, but you can have the same great tasting meals, and more, using a pressure cooker.

Energy savings

Not only will you not have to rush to get it ready in the morning for dinner time, but you’ll also save energy. Instead of having a slow cooker that’s plugged in all day and using energy, you’ll be able to prepare yummy, healthy and delicious meals in just a few minutes time using a pressure cooker.

There you have it. Pressure cookers can actually save you more time and money over a crock pot. For those who’ve swore by a crock pot, why not give a pressure cooker a try next time? You might be pleasantly surprised at how much you like it.

Conclusion

Choose what it is best for your style of cooking, but to make things more difficult, there are now slow pressure cookers, small appliances with similar controls to a slow cooker also able to pressure cook. These appliances do both, slow cook and pressure cook. May be this would be the solution if kitchen space is at a premium.

Each year, roughly 1.5 million Americans have a heart attack… and most of them survive.

But research shows that just one year after their diagnosis, the vast majority fail to adhere to the dietary changes that could prevent a second heart attack.  After losing her father to his second heart attack and fearing that her husband would suffer the same fate after his first, Dr. Janet Bond Brill was inspired to write Prevent a Second Heart Attack: 8 Foods, 8 Weeks to Reverse Heart Disease to teach her husband and 13 million survivors how to prevent that second lethal attack and even reverse the actual disease process.

Prevent a second heart attack Q & A with Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D. R.D., LDN

Dr. Janet Bond Brill is author of Prevent a Second Heart Attack: 8 Foods, 8 Weeks to Reverse Heart Disease, a book is packed with every tool anyone could need — including daily checklists, nutrition information, a complete two-week eating plan, and dozens of mouth-watering recipes to suit every meal, taste, and budget — the delicious and foolproof program ensures that heart attack survivors and their loved ones will be satisfied, rather than deprived, as they eat their way to better heart health. 

Q: Why did you write the book Prevent a Second Heart Attack? 
 
A: I saw a need among heart attack survivors that was not being filled. Currently, more than 13 million Americans have either survived a heart attack or been diagnosed with heart disease. As a registered dietitian specializing in cardiovascular disease prevention, I have found that heart attack survivors simply are not following a lifestyle plan that would help them to prevent a second attack. What many of these “survivors” need to know is that a healthy lifestyle and carefully following doctor’s orders can prevent another heart attack. The problem is that many of these individuals find the “cardiac diet” too restrictive or complicated, and some receive no lifestyle counseling. What’s more, if the heart attack survivor decides to go it alone and purchase a self-help book, he or she may reach for one of the best-selling heart disease reversal books that promote a punishing, “extreme” fringe diet. Most of these books feature Spartan, vegan-style eating plans that are simply too difficult to follow and frankly are just not livable. Why should heart attack survivors be punished further with the burden of tasteless, low-fat plans when there is a better way? My book gives these people good news – –  that they can prevent new plaque buildup and even reverse or stabilize dangerous, vulnerable plaque in their coronary arteries with a delightfully palatable lifestyle strategy where they can still enjoy the good things in life.  

Q: But what exactly are the best lifestyle changes – –  alongside drugs – –  for preventing a second heart attack and even reversing heart disease? 
 
A: That is the very question this book answers. A tremendous amount of scientific research has investigated the application of various diet and exercise plans in preventing further coronary events. I have found that the bulk of the scientific evidence overwhelmingly supports the notion that post-heart attack patients should be advised to eat a Mediterranean-style diet, be physically active at least thirty minutes a day, and not smoke. In fact, the famed Lyon Heart Study that tested a Cretan Mediterranean diet in cardiac patients reported a phenomenal reduction of recurrence rate of 70 percent compared to the control diet (a typical low-fat Western-style diet). Thus, the bulk of the scientific research is crystal clear: a Mediterranean style of eating combined with physical activity is the optimal lifestyle plan for preventing a second heart attack and is far superior to the low-fat vegetarian diet regimens typically prescribed to heart patients in the fat-phobic ’90s (and that continue to line bookstore shelves today). I propose that a Mediterranean-style diet, as outlined in Prevent a Second Heart Attack and backed by powerful evidence, can be even more effective than the eating plans currently recommended by many cardiologists – –  simply because it tastes good and makes life more enjoyable. Following vegan-style plans can also reverse heart disease but only if adhered to – –  an extremely difficult chore for most Americans. 
 
Q: Did you have a personal reason for writing this book? 
 
A: All the men I love have either died of heart disease or are currently living with the disease. My father had his first heart attack at age forty-five and died from his second attack several years later. He was never given any lifestyle advice that could have helped him prevent or reverse his disease. My father-in-law, Harry, had his first heart attack at forty-eight years old and had his second bypass operation two years ago at age seventy-eight. He has tried many of the low-fat vegetarian diets over the years but has found them too difficult to adhere to on a consistent basis. My husband, Sam, had his first heart attack two years ago at age fifty-one. So I wrote this book with the hope that Sam, Harry, and the 13 million other American heart attack survivors will follow the advice set forth in these pages: a livable lifestyle that will show them the way to a long, happy, and healthy life by teaching them how to prevent that second lethal attack and even reverse the actual disease process.   
 
Q: Hindsight is 20/20, but is there anything you would have suggested your husband, Sam, do to prevent his first heart attack? 
 
A: Looking back, I would say I underestimated the power of three risk factors to promote a heart attack: severe emotional duress, family history, and a low HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Fearful that he would follow in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps (his grandfather died of a heart attack at age thirty-five), Sam underwent an invasive medical test (an angiogram) at age forty-five to reassure him that he was free of his family scourge. The results came back negative for any trace of cardiovascular disease. His blood values were excellent except for a low HDL value of 32 (under 40 mg/dL is considered a risk factor). He didn’t smoke, had normal blood pressure, and was not overweight. He continued under the care of his cardiologist – –  and had passed his exercise stress tests with flying colors. Then came the economic tsunami that hit the Florida real estate market (my husband is a general contractor) . . . combined with the stress of his father’s second bypass operation . . . and he had a heart attack on July 31, 2009 – –  and thankfully survived with minor heart muscle damage. So obviously, looking back, he should have been taking much more aggressive preventive measures given his family history – –  such as medications, HDL-boosting lifestyle measures, and practicing more stress management techniques. 
 
Q: Is heart disease really reversible? 
 
A: Yes. Studies published in leading medical journals have shown that following a lifestyle similar to the one outlined in my book – –  and combined with physician-prescribed medications – –  can stabilize and even reverse vulnerable plaque. 
 
Q: Can I eat red meat? 
 
A: The Prevent a Second Heart Attack plan consists of removing the plaque- building foods (red meat, cream, butter, eggs, and cheese) that cause blood vessel damage and replacing them with delicious anti-inflammatory foods that facilitate the body’s natural healing processes to reverse existing heart disease and restore quality of life. To combat the confusion issue, the Prevent a Second Heart Attack Plan offers powerful lifesaving advice, translating the complex clinical findings into a simple, easy-to-follow set of guidelines, “The Eight Dietary Commandments”: (1) no more butter and cream, to be replaced by extra virgin olive oil; (2) no day without greens and other vegetables; (3) no day without figs or other fruit; (4 & 5) no meat (beef, lamb, pork), and replaced by fish and legumes; (6) no day without walnuts and flaxseeds; (7) no day without whole grains and cereals; (8) and moderate alcohol consumption, mainly in the form of red wine, recommended at dinner. (Plus a bonus food – –  deep, dark, sinfully rich chocolate!) 
 
Q: What is the best exercise for my heart? 
 
A: The scientific consensus is that walking is the best exercise prescription for fighting off heart disease. How much, how often, and how fast (plus a discussion of the latest scientific research on exercise for heart disease) is detailed in the chapter on exercise. The best medicine for healing the arteries and reversing heart disease is moderate exercise, and the best exercise for you is the one you will do on a daily basis!  
 
Q: What makes your plan so different and easier to follow than some of the other heart disease reversal plans on the market? 

A: Many of the best-selling plans advise avoiding fish; any and all kinds of oil; avocado; nuts; seeds, and chocolate–delightfully tasty foods–all advocated in my plan. 
 
Q: Can I really begin to heal my arteries in just 8 weeks? 

A: Clinical research has shown a significant reduction in the rate of secondary events in post-heart attack subjects switching to a Mediterranean-style diet–in as little as 6 weeks. 
 
Q: What about protein–where do I get my protein from? 
 
A: The Prevent a Second heart Attack plan urges you to become a “vegaquarium.” By getting your protein from the earth and the sea, you will also be fueling your body with numerous additional nutrients that fortify your daily heart disease defense system–artery healing components not found in a Western-style diet high in animal protein. 
 
Q: Can I drink coffee and tea? 
 
A: The Prevent a Second heart Attack plan is a plant-based diet. Both coffee and tea are made from plants–and plants contain plaque-fighting phytonutrients. So yes, you can have coffee and tea. 
 
Q: What about supplements? 
 
A: Not all supplements are created equally when it comes to treating and reversing plaque buildup. Three stand out among the crowd and should be in every heart attack survivor’s medicine chest: Niacin; Vitamin D3; Fish oil. 

Author bio

Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., R.D., LDN,  author of Prevent a Second Heart Attack: 8 Foods, 8 Weeks to Reverse Heart Disease,is a diet, nutrition, and fitness expert who has appeared on national television.  She is the author of Cholesterol Down: 10 Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol In 4 Weeks Without Prescription Drugs, and specializes in cardiovascular disease prevention.  Dr. Brill lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and three children.

It’s normal to want to get out of the kitchen occasionally and let someone else do the cooking.

But what about sticking to the plan? Will dining out strike a fatal blow to your resolve? Not necessarily. Most restaurants cater to health-conscious diners, it’s not that difficult to find low-fat cuisine while dining out. Eating out is easy on the Naked Fitness nutrition plan.

Eating out on the Naked Fitness nutrition plan

According to the National Restaurant Association, Americans eat out 4.1 times a week. And many of those meals are eaten at fast food restaurants, where food is typically high in fat and sodium. But dining out doesn’t have to spell dieting disaster. One of the many advantages of the Naked Fitness Nutrition Plan is its adaptability to any eating-out situation. These days, healthy foods are served practically everywhere.

You don’t have to be a recluse while on the Naked Fitness Nutrition Plan. You’re free to go out to restaurants, even fast-food places, to enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner with your friends, family, or business associates. Nor should you pass up invitations to parties or other social events just because you’re on a healthy eating program. What follows are some practical guidelines for making healthy choices at any type of restaurant, as well as for enjoying parties and other events.

Restaurants for breakfast

• Order scrambled eggs. Request that the eggs be cooked without added oil.
• Fresh fruits are excellent choices to round out your breakfast.

Asian restaurants

• Select entrees made with lean proteins (such as chicken and fish) and vegetables. Some good suggestions are Moo Goo Gai Pan, Szechwan Shrimp or Chicken, and sushi.
• Request that the sauce be served on the side or forgo it altogether.
• Asian restaurants serve generous helpings. Consider ordering one entree and splitting it with a friend, unless you want to take the leftovers home. 
• Enjoy sushi and sashimi.

Italian restaurants

• For an appetizer, try vegetable antipasto (if available), with dressing on the side.
• Look for entrees such as grilled chicken and fish, as well as Italian dishes that are marked as low in fat. 
• Avoid entrees prepared in cream sauce or Alfredo sauce. 
• Ask the waiter to leave the rolls and breadsticks in the kitchen. 
• When ordering a dinner salad, request dressing on the side. 
• Opt for steamed vegetables as your side dish rather than pasta. Make sure the vegetables are steamed.

Mexican restaurants

• Grilled chicken, shrimp, or lean meat entrees are good choices.
• For extra veggies, request pico de gallo (a mixture of chopped tomatoes, green peppers, and onions). 
• Mexican rice or black bean soup are nice accompaniments to a Mexican meal. So are refried beans, but check first to see whether they are prepared in lard, or baked or boiled, and seasoned. If they aren’t refried in lard, enjoy them. 
• A dinner salad with nonfat salad dressing is a healthy meal-starter.

Steakhouse

• Order grilled lean meat, chicken, salmon, or other fish (prepared with- out oil).
• For a side dish, select a steamed vegetable such as broccoli. 
• At the salad bar, stick to fresh vegetables. Many salad bars serve fresh fruit too, which makes for a great dessert. 

Homestyle or Cafeteria Restaurant

• Request grilled or lemon chicken, turkey breast without the gravy, or white fish prepared without sauce or oil.
• Select steamed vegetables (no sauce or butter), salad with nonfat dressing, or a vegetable medley prepared without butter or margarine.
• Look away when passing by the dessert line.

Fast-Food restaurants

• Most fast-food establishments have salads on their menus; grilled chicken salads are your best bets. Order reduced-fat salad dressing with your salad. If there’s a salad bar, stick to fresh vegetables and fat-free salad dressing.
• At fast-food restaurants that serve fish, order baked fish, steamed vegetables, and a salad.

Parties

• Eat a meal before you go to the party to fend off hunger pangs and cravings.
• Snack on fresh vegetables and fruit (but pass up the dip).
• If you’re going to dinner with a group of friends and are concerned that you’ll overeat, eat some natural high-fiber foods (like raw vegetables or fruit) before you go.  You’ll be less likely to pig out later.
• Offer to bring a couple of your own dishes (low-fat, of course) to the gathering.
• Instead of a cocktail, drink a diet soda or carbonated water with a twist of lemon or lime.

It may not seem like fun to limit yourself to certain foods when eating out. But the ability to make healthy choices at restaurants is one more positive step toward getting a beautifully naked body. You’ll feel better, and your body will love you for it.

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The above is an excerpt from the book Naked Fitness: The Proven 28 Day Lifestyle Program for a Slimmer, Fitter, Pain Free Body by Andrea Metcalf. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

© 2010 Andrea Metcalf, author of Naked Fitness: The Proven 28 Day Lifestyle Program for a Slimmer, Fitter, Pain Free Body.

Author bio

Andrea Metcalf, author of Naked Fitness: The Proven 28 Day Lifestyle Program for a Slimmer, Fitter, Pain Free Body,  has been teaching fitness, training clients, and coaching on subjects of nutrition and health for the past 27 years.  Her inspiring and approachable personality has helped build her reputation as a nationally known fitness expert.  Andrea is a regular contributor of MORE, Self, and Women’s World,among other magazines, and a regular blogger on Oprah.com. She frequently appears on Today, Good Morning America Health, NBC5 in Chicago, and the nationally syndicated Better TV.

Andrea holds a BS in Exercise Science and has grown her career by creating unique programs of her own including Paws-ilates, Sil-ilites, and Live-ilates, featured on Oprah.com.  Over the years, Andrea has written numerous articles on health and fitness.  She is a national fitness presenter, motivational speaker, and has a series of fitness DVDs.

There is no more appropriate time than now to think about how and why we cook.

Food is a way of connecting with the people who surround us. Through it, we communicate emotions like love, compassion and understanding, and there is no better opportunity to communicate with our children than at the table. It’s where we can discuss our values of life that are important to us as individuals, as a family and as a part of the world we live in.

“Waste Not, Want Not” and make it delicious!

By Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali,
Author of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes

As overconsumption and greed have come to haunt us, now is a time for reflection. We should be looking back at the generations before us to understand their approach to the table. Growing food, shepherding animals, foraging for the gifts of nature is all part of respecting food. Nothing needs to be wasted. Bread can be recycled and used in soups, casseroles, lasagnas and desserts. Water is carefully conserved as in the pasta recipe I share below where the same water in which vegetables are cooked is used to cook the pasta that follows, and then that is saved for soups or for making risotto.

When one respects the food we prepare, it also leads to a more sensible and balanced intake of proteins, legumes and vegetables.

So “waste not, want not” and make it delicious!

Excerpt from Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy (Alfred A. Knopf, 2009)

Fresh Cavatelli with Cauliflower
Maccarun ch’I Hiucc

Serves 6

Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables, and I regret that many people don’t sufficiently appreciate its unique flavor and nutritional value. This is not the case in Molise, where it is cooked often and creatively, as exemplified by the following two simple vegetarian pasta dishes. The first recipe, maccarun ch’i hiucc, is zesty with garlic and peperoncino.

You will need

• 1/2teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta pot
• 1/2cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 7 plump garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• 1/2teaspoon peperoncino flakes, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1 large head cauliflower, cut in small florets
• 1 batch (1 1/2pounds) Fresh Cavatelli (preceding recipe), or 1 pound dried pasta
• 1 cup freshly grated pecorino (or half pecorino and half Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, for a milder flavor)

Recommended equipment: A large pasta pot; a heavy-bottomed skillet or sauté pan, 12 inch diameter or larger

How it is done

Fill the large pot with salted water (at least 6 quarts water with 1 tablespoon salt), and heat to a boil.

Pour the olive oil into the skillet, set over medium-high heat, and scatter in the sliced garlic. Let the garlic start to sizzle, then toss in the peperoncino and parsley; stir and cook for a minute. Ladle in a cup of the pasta cooking water, stir well, and adjust the heat to keep the liquid in the skillet simmering and reducing gradually while you cook the cauliflower and pasta.

With the pasta water at a rolling boil, drop in the cauliflower florets, and cook them for about 3 minutes, until barely tender. Drop in the cavatelli, stir, and return the water quickly to a boil. Cook another 4 to 5 minutes, until the cauliflower is fully tender and the pasta is al dente (if you are using dried pasta, it will, of course, take longer).

Lift out the florets and cavatelli with a spider or strainer, drain briefly, and spill them into the skillet. Toss well, to coat all the pasta and vegetable pieces with the garlicky dressing, then turn off the heat, sprinkle over the skillet the grated cheese, and toss again. Heap the cauliflower and cavatelli in warm bowls, and serve immediately.

Chocolate bread parfait
Pane di Cioccolato al Cucchiaio

Serves 6

This recalls for me the chocolate-and-bread sandwiches that sometimes were my lunch, and always a special treat. And it is another inventive way surplus is used in Umbrian cuisine, with leftover country bread serving as the foundation of an elegant layered dessert. Though it is soaked with chocolate and espresso sauce and buried in whipped cream, the bread doesn’t disintegrate, and provides a pleasing textural contrast in every heavenly spoonful.

You will need

• 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 8 ounces country-style white bread, crusts removed
• 1/2cup freshly brewed espresso
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2cups chilled heavy cream
• 1 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Recommended equipment: A large rimmed tray or baking sheet, such as a half-sheet pan (12 by 18 inches); a spouted measuring cup, 1 pint or larger; 6 parfait glasses or wineglasses, preferably balloon-shaped

How it is done

1. Put the chopped chocolate in a bowl set in a pan of hot (not boiling) water. When the chocolate begins to melt, stir until completely smooth. Keep it warm, over the water, off the heat.
2. Slice the bread into 1/2 inch-thick slices, and lay them flat in one layer, close together, on the tray or baking sheet.
3. Pour the warm espresso into a spouted measuring cup, stir in the rum and sugar until sugar dissolves, then stir in half the melted chocolate. Pour the sauce all over the bread slices, then flip them over and turn them on the tray, to make sure all the surfaces are coated. Let the bread absorb the sauce for a few minutes.
4. Meanwhile, whip the cream until soft peaks form, by hand or with an electric mixer.
5. To assemble the parfaits: Break the bread into 1-inch pieces. Use half the pieces to make the bottom parfait layer in the six serving glasses, dropping an equal amount of chocolatey bread into each. Scrape up some of the unabsorbed chocolate sauce that remains on the baking sheet, and drizzle a bit over the bread layers. Next, drop a layer of whipped cream in the glasses, using up half the cream. Top the cream layer with toasted almonds, using half the nuts.
6. Repeat the layering sequence: drop more soaked bread into each glass, drizzle over it the chocolate sauce from the tray and the remaining melted chocolate. Dollop another layer of whipped cream in the glasses, using it all up, and sprinkle the remaining almonds on top of each parfait. This dessert is best when served immediately while the melted chocolate is still warm and runny.

© 2010 Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali, authors of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes

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Author bio

Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, coauthor of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipe, is the author of five previous books, four of them accompanied by nationally syndicated public television series. She is the owner of the New York City restaurant Felidia (among others), and she lectures on and demonstrates Italian cooking throughout the country. She lives on Long Island, and can be reached at her website.

Tanya Bastianich Manuali, Lidia’s daughter and coauthor of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipe, received her Ph.D. in Italian Renaissance art history from Oxford University. Since 1996 she has led food/wine/art tours of Italy. She lives with her husband and children on Long Island.

So you have finally decided to take the plunge and get a bread maker. After all of the poking and prodding from friends, as well as the added health benefits to having fresh bread, you are trying to pick out the perfect bread maker for you.

Let’s take a look at four of the top bread makers on the market and even if you don’t pick one of these, you will have a head start on what to look for in a bread machine manufacturer.

Zojirushi BBCCX20

The ultimate in bread machines, the Zojirushi BBCCX20 is definitely at the top of the leader board. This machine has settings for numerous types of breads as well as a memory function for 3 customizable settings. These custom controls allow you to set up a cycle for a certain type of bread, combine the ingredients and push one button.

The Zojirushi BBCCX20 also has a large viewing window so you can see exactly what is going on inside and with the double blade kneading action; no ingredients go unmixed or stuck to the sides of the machine. This machine can even be used to make jams, cakes and even meatloaf or lasagna. With a customer satisfaction of more than 6 to 1, this is a great machine to have in your house.

Panasonic SD-YD250

Panasonic has been in the electronics world for a number of years and has perfected the art of digital control. The Panasonic SD-YD250 boasts a two and a half pound loaf maximum and having the ability to make just about any bread you can think of doesn’t hurt either.

A 13 hour timer allows you to head to work, drop the kids off at soccer practice and by the time you get home, your bread is just finishing the cooling process. Weighing in at 18 pounds, this surprisingly big machine runs so quietly that it almost isn’t noticed until a single beep, declaring your bread is done.

Because Panasonic knows how to make quality electronics, the SD-YD250 is extremely simple to clean. With the non-stick pan, the bread slides right out easily, leaving behind very few crumbs or residue.

Sunbeam 5891

We all know the Sunbeam name from the isles of our grocery store. A long time best selling bread; why not trust their ability to create a bread maker? Apparently Sunbeam hit the nail on the head with their model 5891. With a large digital readout and three different crust shades, this two-pound loaf capacity machine is extremely simple to use.

The only concern with this machine is not the machine itself, but the recipe booklet that comes with it. According to some negative reviews, the recipes call for too much yeast, but the problem was corrected when the recipe was adjusted. All in all it’s great machine for a decent price.

Cuisinart CBK200

The king of the kitchen, Cuisinart, finally has a bread maker that can stand up to the other manufacturers. Of course, Cuisinart doesn’t do anything if they can’t put ingenuity into it and the CBK200 is no different. This machine allows for over 100 different variations of bread making and with different audible tones at different points in the cycles, you know exactly when to add fruits and nuts, or when to remove the paddles.

The Cuisinart CBK200 also boasts convection cooking, which allows for an even baking all the way around the loaf. One downfall, suggested by customers, is the thin aluminum pan, which can scratch and dent easily if abused and does not always allow for proper heat conduction. Another issue customer’s address is the learning curve to operating the machine. With an automatic bread maker, it should just be a push and go type function.

Conclusion

Hopefully this helps to narrow down your search for the perfect bread maker. While these four machines may not make your list, the manufacturers are definitely at the top of their game when it comes to making bread. Go out and pick up a machine today; your sore arms will thank you.

Do you get fatter in the cold weather?

It’s a good question right now, and the answer is yes! Here is why and what you can do to prevent this.

Does cold weather make you store body fat?

First there’s the psychological explanation: in warm climates, people are wearing less clothes and enjoying the outdoors and people want to look good when they’re exposing more flesh! In the cold, you’re covered up, so there’s less self-consciousness and no public accountability. Therefore, most people tend to stay on a diet more diligently and train harder when summer rolls around.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) has been studied at length by psychologists. Often more than just the “winter blues” but an actual type of depression, SAD occurs during the short days and long nights of winter and fall, when there’s less sunlight and colder temperatures. Symptoms include depression, cravings for specific foods, loss of energy, hopelessness and oversleeping. Obviously, these types of symptoms can contribute to weight gain.

Because of their tendency for fall and winter weight gain, many people have suspected that cold temperatures influence weight gain on a metabolic level, not just eating more. Exposure to cold temperatures can cause a shivering thermogenesis which means there’s an increase in metabolism to produce more heat (heat production = calories burned).

However, if you just got the bright idea of turning off the heat in your house, or going for a swim in the cold surf every day to “burn more fat”, I wouldn’t recommend it. Deliberate exposure to the cold, either cold air or cold water doesn’t pan out into real world fat loss results, even though there are actually “fat loss gurus” who recommend it.

Here’s why:

If your body uses some energy for shivering or heat production, it can compensate later for that energy loss by increasing your appetite. Not only that, research at the hyper baric environmental adaptation program at the Naval Medical Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland reported that, “The combination of exercise and cold exposure does NOT act to enhance metabolism of fats . . . Cold-induced vasoconstriction of peripheral adipose tissue may account, in part, for the decrease in lipid mobilization.”

It’s just not practical to freeze your butt off in an attempt to speed up your metabolism a tiny little bit, so your fat loss scheme wouldn’t last long if you tried.

A great example of how cold temperatures affect energy balance is in the case of swimming. For years, people thought swimming actually made you fat. There were all kinds of theories, like, “it makes you retain a layer of fat for insulation, like seals.” Actually, the most recent research shows that swimming is a perfectly good fat burning exercise, except for one thing: Swimming, especially in cold water, increases appetite dramatically.

The seasons affect your activity levels too. Pedometer research published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise uncovered a huge difference in the number of steps taken between the summer and winter:

7616 steps per day in summer
6293 steps per day in fall
5304 steps per day in winter
5850 steps in spring

Most people blame winter weight gain on the food, but it’s not just the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s celebration feasts, it’s less winter activity that also contributes to the holiday pounds.

You have to keep up your training and nutrition program in the winter, or else.

Although studies have found that seasonal weight gain is usually very small, it’s the type of slow weight creep that goes unnoticed. Over a period of 10, 15 or 20 years, it’s enough to accumulate into overweight or obesity.

Thus many men and women wake up one morning at age 40 or 45, look in the mirror and ask themselves, “How did I get so heavy?” Answer: just a pound or two a year, after each winter season, left unchecked.

To stay lean all year round, you have to remain alert about increases in your appetite and decreases in your activity. This is a YEAR-ROUND LIFESTYLE! Stay active, stay diligent about nutrition, stay accountable, and if you start to experience weight gain, nip it in the bud — fast!

© 2010 Tom Venuto, author of The Body Fat Solution: Five Principles for Burning Fat, Building Lean Muscle, Ending Emotional Eating, and Maintaining Your Perfect Weight

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Author Bio

Tom Venuto is a fat-loss expert, nutrition researcher, and natural, steroid-free bodybuilder. Since 1989, Venuto has been involved in virtually every aspect of the fitness and weight-loss industry — as a personal trainer, nutrition consultant, motivation coach, fitness model, health club manager, and bestselling author of the popular e-book Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, as well as other digital programs such as MP3 teleseminars and weight-loss membership websites. He lives in Hoboken, New Jersey.

At the heart of Eat & Beat Diabetes With Picture Perfect Weight Loss are dozens of flavorful recipes created by Chef Becker.

Those recipes prove how easy it is to change the way you eat, without sacrificing taste. The book features extraordinary recipes from seventeen of the country’s top chefs including: Lidia Bastianich, Neal Fraser, Christopher Lee, Kim Canteenwalla and Tory Miller. Included inside is a seven-day sample menu, as well as menu-selection guidelines for beating diabetes while dining out, be it at top New York City restaurants or at national chains. The pages are filled with visual comparisonsthat showcase ways of seeing what healthy eating means and looks like.

Eat & beat diabetes with picture perfect weight loss

The visual program to prevent and control diabetes by Dr. Howard M. Shapiro and Chef Franklin Becker

Problem solved: Lose weight and beat diabetes in the most delicious way you can imagine.

• Overweight and at risk for diabetes?
• Diagnosed as diabetic or prediabetic?
• Worried about heart disease?
• Need to lower your blood pressure or cholesterol?
• Need to lose weight healthfully?
• Want to prevent your children from getting diabetes?

Follow the plan in this book and you’ll be on the road to health. You’ll lose weight — one of the most important components of diabetes prevention and management — and you won’t feel deprived. It’s not about what you can’t eat anymore — it’s about all the foods that will leave you satisfiedandhelp you fight disease.

• The latest research, revealing the four powerful nutrients that proactively beat back diabetes and its impact
• More than 100 color photos of picture-perfect food comparisons that help you make the right choices
• Tips for how to beat diabetes in any restaurant — from fast food to haute cuisine

Value added: Beat diabetes and lose weight!

Ask any doctor or nutritionist who treats patients with diabetes: the first focus for controlling the disease is a healthy eating plan. But typical diabetic eating plans have been all about what youcan’teat and what to do if you fall prey to a craving for foods you shouldn’t have.

In Eat & Beat Diabetes with Picture Perfect Weight Loss, Dr. Howard Shapiro uses the same visual method of food comparisons that made his bestselling weight-loss books so popular and easy to use. Now he has teamed with top chef Franklin Becker, a diabetic himself, and together they reveal the secrets to a diet that can actually help you prevent and beat diabetes — without depriving yourself of delicious food.

You’ll find:

Dr. Shapiro’s Beat Diabetes Pyramid —a simple way to understand the food groups that fight diabetes and help you lose weight

50 recipes from the nation’s premier chefs,which range from simple to sophisticated, so anyone can make tasty meals regardless of time or skill

A 7-day sample meal plan

Now a typical day in the life of a diabetic might start with a smoked salmon-and-dill omelet, continue to a lunch of three-bean chili, salsa and guacamole, and finish with a dinner of grilled shrimp and shaved fennel, topped off by a dessert of chocolate terrine. It’s a kind of eating that virtually guarantees not just control of the disease and a satisfying of the appetite, but an emphasis on specific nutrients that actually target diabetes, beating back its potential side effects and maintaining the healthy weight that is key to controlling the disease.

Includes tips and healthy meals for kids at risk

In addition, the book is a call to action for parents, this is the first generation projected to have a shorter life span than the previous one.Eat & Beat Diabetes With Picture Perfect Weight Loss is for the entire family, not only because being overweight is dangerous, but because achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is vital for everyone’s health.

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Author bios

Dr. Howard M. Shapiro changed the way American lost weight with hisNew York TimesbestsellerPicture Perfect Weight Loss. He is the founder and director of Howard M. Shapiro Medical Associates, a private multidisciplinary medical office in New York City that specializes in weight control, nutrition counseling and life management. He has been featured in theNew York Times,USA TodayandVogue, among others, and has been a frequent guest on numerous national television and radio programs, including Oprah, Today, Good Morning America and The View. Dr. Shapiro worked extensively with the New York Police Department and the Fire Department of New York, helping them lose a total of 2,544 pounds. Visit his Web site at www.drhowardshapiro.com.

Franklin Becker has served as executive chef at several of New York’s premier restaurants and his work has been featured in the New York Times, New York magazine, Esquire and People. At the age of twenty-seven, he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Following his diagnosis, Chef Becker lost 35 pounds and transformed his cooking style to create dazzling dishes that are healthy and flavorful. Chef Becker currently presides over Abe & Arthur’s restaurant, located in New York City’s Meatpacking district. Visit his Web site at www.cheffranklinbecker.com.

In Clean, Green, and Lean: Get Rid of the Toxins That Make You Fat, Dr. Walter Crinnion illustrates to readers how they can both lose weight and be good to the environment. Dr. Crinnion, a naturopathic doctor and environmental medicine physician, will show you how to get rid of nagging health problems such as allergies and fatigue and enjoy greater energy and a greener planet. His book is all you need to slim down, clean up, and start enjoying life again.

An apple a day won’t keep the doctor away, unless it’s organic

The EWG recently studied extensive USDA and FDA testing that measured pesticide residues in produce and then ranked the most commonly eaten fruits and vegetables in this country on a scale from most toxic to most consistently clean. I strongly encourage you to take the list of the “dirty dozen” to the grocery store with you. If your produce manager isn’t stocking organic versions of all of the following, you may want to enlighten him or her.

What a conundrum. We know we’re supposed to eat our fruit and vegetables because they have crucial nutrients that other foods don’t, but here on the dirty dozen list, some of our favorites are covered with the most toxic agricultural chemicals out there. So do yourself and your family a favor and buy these twelve only if they’re organically grown. And eat a good variety, because they all contain different antioxidants.

If you can’t find organic and you’re determined to eat the forbidden fruit (or vegetable), the nonorganic varieties can sometimes be made less toxic by peeling them (great for apples and potatoes, not so great for lettuce and strawberries). Their toxic content can be further reduced by soaking and scrubbing them in a tub of 10 percent vinegar (also not so great for lettuce and strawberries). And regardless of whether it’s organic or nonorganic, wash it. Whatever it is that’s keeping the bugs at bay at the supermarket is also surely settling on the surface of the produce.

Avoiding the nonorganic versions altogether is the best strategy, though. A study in Seattle showed that when the most toxic fruits and vegetables were removed from preschoolers’ diets (along with almonds) and replaced with organic varieties, the kids’ pesticide levels went way down. Their levels of key pesticides dropped to essentially zero and stayed undetectable until they started eating conventional foods again.

So now that you know what not to eat, what should you eat? You can start with the flip side of the dirty dozen: the clean dozen. Not all nonorganic versions of fruits and vegetables pack a toxic punch, and these twelve have virtually no pesticide levels. These are the nonorganic varieties you can buy without lying awake at night regretting that you’ve made your toxic burden worse.

While it would obviously be best to buy organic varieties of all of our foods, when it comes to these twelve fruits and vegetables, you can feel safe buying the commercial varieties. So unless you have a big grocery budget that allows you to buy nothing but organic foods, use your organic allowance to buy organic apples instead of organic broccoli or bananas.

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Detoxing nonorganic produce

If you can’t find organic varieties, use these methods to reduce your toxic exposure:Â

• Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin from commercial varieties of apples, pears, nectarines, and potatoes. You’ll probably need a paring knife to peel peaches.
• For bell peppers, apples, and celery, use an acid wash:

1. Fill a large bowl or a plastic food storage container with water.
2. Add a cup of distilled vinegar.
3. Let the produce rest in the tub for ten to twenty-five minutes, and then use a vegetable scrub brush to scrub each piece for about sixty seconds.
4. For grapes and cherries, just let them soak for about sixty minutes.

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The above is an excerpt from the book Clean, Green, and Lean: Get Rid of the Toxins That Make You Fat by Dr. Walter Crinnion. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Copyright © 2010 Dr. Walter Crinnion, author of Clean, Green, and Lean: Get Rid of the Toxins That Make You Fat

The dirty dozen

Apples
Bell peppers
Carrots
Celery
Cherries
Grapes (imported)
Kale
Lettuce
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Strawberries

(highest in pesticides)

The clean dozen

Asparagus
Avocados
Cabbage
Eggplant
Kiwis
Mangoes
Onions
Papayas
Pineapples
Sweet corn
Sweet peas
Watermelon

(lowest in pesticides)

Author Bio

Dr. Walter Crinnion is one of America’s foremost authorities on environmental medicine. A naturopathic physician, he is the director of the Environmental Medicine Center of Excellence at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Arizona and chair of the Environmental Medicine Department. He is a close colleague of Dr. Peter D’Adamo, author of the monumental bestseller Eat Right 4 Your Type.

For more information, please visit www.crinnionmedical.com.